American Side: Sarnia and John Sottosanti

american side: Clair River over the weekend, pushing nearly 1,500 participants in dinghies over the border and onto the shores of Sarnia, Ont, according to CTV. Most of the unintentional border-crossers arrived without passports, phones or arrangements to get back home, creating a major headache for law enforcement and emergency responders on both sides of the river. "They were pushed over pretty quickly, and because they had no control over these dinghies and the wind was basically directing them and the current, they ended up over here," Sarnia Police Const. Strong winds disrupted the annual Port Huron Float Down on the American side of the St. John Sottosanti told CTVNews.ca. Emergency response crews from several Sarnia chemical plants also helped with the situation, as a number of boaters landed near their facilities. "It was pretty much a spontaneous reaction," Sottosanti said. He added that while some had paddles to keep themselves on course, "others tied numerous dinghies together to try and keep together and hopefully move as one, but they were not successful at all." Police, border security and coast guard agencies from both sides of the border stepped into to help round up the wayward Americans and return them to Port Huron. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.